A study synthesizes all scientific evidence about the efficacy of treatment for mental health in Young people and adolescents
The article, in which a researcher from the University of Navarra collaborated, addresses almost one thousand international studies about 52 mental disorders (ADHD, anorexia, anxiety and depression, autism, etc.)
PhotoManuel Castells/Gonzalo Arrondo, researcher from ICS
07 | 10 | 2021
A study in which the University of Navarra has participated synthesizes all the international scientific evidence on the efficacy of mental health treatments for young people and adolescents. The authors are experts from Europe, North America and Latin America including Gonzalo Arrondo Ostiz, researcher with the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the Pamplona campus.
The article, published in a Psychiatry Journal with the highest international impact, has combined more than one hundred Meta-analyses, that have taking into account the largest and highest quality studies. In total, almost one thousand studies reporting clinical trials with thousands of patients included are covered.
The work analyzes the case of 52 disorders or groups of disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anorexia, anxiety disorders, autism, disorders on the autistic spectrum, bipolar disorder, depressive disorders and schizophrenia amongst others.
As Arrondo explains, many mental illnesses show clinical symptoms at an early age and become chronic in adulthood. “They interfere with the proper development of children and adolescents and are a major cause of disease and disability", he tells us.
In this regard, he emphasizes the need for public health systems to provide treatment with more guarantees for patients. “This selection of the most prestigious studies is a guideline for making better clinical decisions”, he says because “it includes therapies which have shown greater efficacy, acceptance and tolerance”.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments
According to the researcher from the ICS 'Mind-brain' group, the analysis suggests that in many cases there is medication that works well, "with acceptable side effects", and in others, some non-pharmacological "could be a key pillar".
Regarding the former, the article reviews the efficacy of certain drugs in the treatment of ADHD, disruptive behavioral disorders, schizophrenia, depression, mania and anxiety disorders, among others.
It also mentions the following examples of non-pharmacological treatments with proven efficacy: behavioral and social skills therapy for ADHD and conduct disorders; cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder; interpersonal therapy for depression; and family therapy for anorexia.
"However," he warns, "there are others that are frequently used despite the fact that no convincing evidence has been found about their usefulness. Some are cognitive training and neurofeedback for ADHD, computerized cognitive training -for emotion detection- in autism; and EMDR or narrative exposure therapy in post-traumatic stress.